Like other gases in the atmosphere, greenhouse gases are transparent to incoming sunlight. However, greenhouse gases are not transparent to heat. The sun-warmed surface of the Earth radiates heat day and night. Some of the heat escapes from the atmosphere, while the rest is absorbed by greenhouse gases, which radiate heat back into the environment.
As we humans have become more numerous, we have found ever new ways to transform carbon-containing materials into other forms of energy. The Industrial Revolution taught us new ways to utilize coal and oil. The greenhouse gases from coal and oil were now released back into the air and began to absorb sunlight and radiate heat into the atmosphere.
As a result, the global average temperature began to increase after the start of the Industrial Revolution, and the increase has continued to this day.
read more about the greenhouse effect.
